The immune system is an intricate collection of organs, tissues, cells and soluble factors that allow individuals to defend against harmful agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasitic organisms, and tumor cells. The immune system is a recognition system that distinguishes the body's own molecules from foreign molecules. When the immune system detects a foreign substance, called an antigen, it responds with a proliferation of cells that either attack the invader directly (the innate immune response) or produce specific defensive proteins called antibodies (the adaptive immune response). In contrast to the innate immune defences, which are always ready to fight a variety of infections, the adaptive immune response must be primed by the presence of an antigen, and the defensive cells and antibodies produced against the antigen are ineffective against any other foreign substance. Typically, the innate immune response has a rapid reaction time, whereas the adaptive immune response has a slow initiation and increases thereafter.
Allergies are hypersensitivities of the body's defence system to certain environmental antigens. Allergic reactions are typically very rapid and show extraordinary sensitivity to minute amounts of antigen. When antibodies that participate in allergenic reactions bind to antigens, a process called degranulation occurs in which the masked cells release a flood of histamine and other inflammatory mediators which cause some of the best recognized systems of allergy, namely sneezing, nasal irritation, itchiness of the skin and tearing of the eyes.
The presence of biologically active agents including antigens in a patient's body fluid, especially blood, has been determined using various techniques. One such technique entails the analysis of either bioluminescence or chemiluminescence for detecting the presence of a variety of luminescent analytes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,794 discloses a luminescence measuring system comprising a luminometer designed for making bioluminescence and chemiluminescence measurements. The disclosed luminometer comprises a chamber into which a single test tube is received. The test tube once received in the chamber is held stationary while the chamber revolves around the test tube from the admission phase to the measurement phase and finally to the discharge phase. It is in the measurement phase that the reagent LUMIT is added to the sample and luminescence is measured. The disadvantage of the technique and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,794 is that it allows for only a single sample to move through the testing process from admission to discharge and as such, results in decreased efficiency and increased time in the overall testing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,166 discloses an automated analyser capable of performing multiple diagnostic assays simultaneously. The disclosed analyser includes a computer controller which runs analyser-controlling and assay-scheduling software to coordinate operation of the stations of the analyser and movement of each reaction receptacle through the analyser. The specimen pipette assembly of the disclosed analyser is coupled to a syringe pump which engages the specimen tubes carried on the specimen ring and which also engages pipette tips carried on a pipette wheel near the back portion of the specimen ring. The containers of the target capture reagent are carried on an inner rotable assembly constructed and arranged to selectively agitate the containers or present the containers for access by the probe of an automatic robotic pipette system. The reaction mixtures are prepared by the pipette system within each reaction receptacle. The contents of the reaction receptacle is subjected to magnetic separation wash procedures in the magnetic separation wash stations of the apparatus. The disclosed apparatus also contains a luminometer for detecting and/or quantifying the amount of light emitted by the contents of the reaction receptacle. The disclosed apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 6,335,166 requires treatment of the contents of the reaction receptacle by magnetic separation wash procedures. Furthermore, the disclosed apparatus consists of several interconnected ring assemblies resulting in an overly complex and intricate apparatus.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,222 discloses a complex apparatus and method for testing and classifying materials, which contain agglutinates. The method taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,222 enables agglutinations to be detected either by nephelometry or by opacimetry and does not disclose a method for luminescence detection. The disclosed apparatus consists of an agitator comprising a turn-table subjected to motion around a circle in which the reaction mixture is introduced into the test vessel via two syringes. The first syringe is used to take small amounts of the sample, the second used to take into a small bottle a certain amount of liquid containing reagents, dilutant and flush water. A mass of liquid taken from the first and second syringes is directed into a probe which contains the sample of the reagent and dilutant, the contents of the probe being pushed into the reaction cups which are then subject to agitation. The apparatus taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,222 discloses a two stage mixing procedure comprising a partial mixing in the probe and then a more complex mixing by agitation. Such a procedure disadvantageously results in an intricate preparation of the reaction mixture prior to the actual testing phase, thereby disadvantageously increasing the total time in the overall testing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,075 teaches a chemical luminescence-detection apparatus in which the chemical luminescence generated in a photometric cell is detected by an optical detector. The reagent used in the luminescent reaction is luminol. U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,075 also requires complex preparation of the sample prior to the testing phase and the luminescent reaction. The requisite preparation includes subjecting the reaction solution to several agitations and washes. Such a complex preparation of the sample disadvantageously increases the time required in the overall testing process.